Santa’s Checkride

Santa Claus, like all pilots, is required to receive an annual checkride from a FAA evaluator.

In preparation, Santa had the maintenance elves wash the sled and bathe all the reindeer. Santa got his log book out and made sure all his paperwork was in order. He knew the evaluator would examine all his equipment and truly put Santa’s flying skills to the test.

The evaluator walked slowly around the sled. He checked the reindeer harnesses, the landing gear, and even Rudolph’s nose. He painstakingly reviewed Santa’s weight and balance calculations for the sled’s enormous payload.

Finally, they were ready for the flight portion of the check ride. Santa got in and fastened his seat belt and shoulder harness, etc and checked the compass.

Then the evaluator hopped in carrying, to Santa’s surprise, a rifle.

“What’s that for?!?” Asked Santa incredulously.

The evaluator winked and said, “I’m not supposed to tell you this ahead of time,” as he leaned over to whisper in Santa’s ear, “but you’re gonna lose an engine on takeoff.”

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the California Pilots Association!